Sizing Up the Oscar Noms

SLUGGING IT out for Best Animated Feature (clockwise, from top left): The Secret of Kells, The Princess and the Frog, UP, Coraline and The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Best Director

James Cameron, Avatar; Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker; Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds; Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire; Jason Reitman, Up in the Air.

Avatar may win a lot of other Oscars but not this one. In fact, other than Cameron, I’m not sure who I’d pick out of the rest (even given the fact I missed Hurt Locker at the theater). Tarantino and Daniels directed their films with visual flair that helped them rise above the expectations I walked into the theater with. And I can find nothing to criticize about Up in the Air — story, characters, settings, look and feel — it hit all its marks.

Best Foreign Language Film

Ajami, Israel; El Secreto de Sus Ojos, Argentina; The Milk of Sorrow, Peru; Un Prophete, France; The White Ribbon, Germany.

None of these films has been released in my neck of the woods yet, so that’s that. Based on trailers, White Ribbon and Un Prophete stand out.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9; Nick Hornby, An Education; Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, In the Loop; Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire; Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air.

• District 9 stands out more for its visuals and clever situations that for the quality of its writing; characters get the short shrift in what is admittedly a very entertaining film.
• An Education: meh.
• I gave In the Loop a pass at the theater since it had that “preaching to the choir” thing going on.
• This category will come down to Fletcher’s Precious and Reitman and Turner’s Up in the Air. Both screenplays put words together in powerful ways, and the latter actually improved on the source material.

Best Original Screenplay

Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker; Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds; Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, The Messenger; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man; Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Tom McCarthy, Up.

First, a shout-out to The Messenger. I’m not sure a lot of people saw this film but it was among the most affecting “returning vet” films I’ve ever seen. It’s a powerful movie, all the more so for its understatement. Its lack of box office may put it down for the count in this category, which includes the flashy Basterds and the more in-your-face Hurt Locker, not to mention the animated charm of Up. A Serious Man‘s intelligent but narrow appeal may put it in the also-ran category.

Best Animated Feature Film

Coraline; Fantastic Mr. Fox; The Princess and the Frog; The Secret of Kells; Up.

Let’s go ahead and brush aside Kells. Who’s seen it?? It doesn’t even have a Tomatometer rating. Up, Coraline and Mr. Fox are going to battle this one out. Princess and the Frog? Not in their league.